Spring-wheel.



'0. H. HINDS. SPRING WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 27, 1910.

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ATTOIME Y 8 Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

OZBO H. HINDS,:OF LE' MARS, IOWA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

1 Application filed October 27, 1810. Serial No. 589,824.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OZRO H. HINDS, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Le Mars, in the county of Plymouth and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Wheels, of whichthe following is a specificatlon.

This invention is an improvement in spring wheels and has for an objectto pro vide a novel construction of spring wheel in which the lateralrigidit characteristic of the ordinary automobile wheel will not beimpaired and in which springs may be utilized to secure the desiredresiliency of the wheel in a radial direction in a simple and efiicientmanner; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions andcombinations of parts as will hereinafter be described and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side view of a wheel embodying myinvention, parts being removed and others shown in section. Fig. 2 is asection on about line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating one of the spokes inconnection with the hub, rim and tire of the wheel. Fig. 3 is a detailview illustrating certain of the parts in detail and detached. Fig. 4 isa side view illustrating the open spring ring for securing the dustexcluding apron. Fig. 5 is a detail section, enlarged, illustrating theconnection of the apron, all of which will be more fully describedhereinafter. Fig. 6 is a detail cross section of the felly and rimplates.

In carrying out the invention, the hub A is formed with radial sockets Bin which are fitted and held preferably by threading, the inner ends ofthetubular sections C of the spokes, the said spokes comprising theinner tubular section C and the rod section D which latter fits andoperates at its inner end in the tube O and bears against a spring Edisposed in said tube and bearing between the inner end of the rod D andthe base wall of the socket B in which the tube C is secured, as will beunderstood from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawin The felly F 0% the wheel isprovided with openings F into which the outer end of the tube Cprotrudes and within this opening F is secured the stufling box G of thetube 0 and through which the iston rod D operates, suitable packingbelng provided in the stufling box as best shown in Fig. 2. The rod Dpasses through the stuifing box G and means are provided at the outerend of incident to or.

. the rod for connecting the same with the tire, which latter is held inthe rim plates 11, as shown and more fully described hereinafter. Bythis construction I secure practically a rigid connection between thefelly F and the hub so that the felly is firmly and rigidly supportedin' connection with the hub, the tire having a limited radial movementwithin the rim applied to the felly as best shown in Fig. 2 and as willnow be described. This ractically rigid connection between the fiallyand the hub renders the wheel practically rigid as against lateralstrains and thus aids in securin a Wheel which will have the desiredrigidity in a lateral direction Without impairing its radial resilienceas is desired in this class of devices.

In producing the stufiing box G, the tube 0 is shouldered on its-outerside at C to abut the inner side of the rim F and the said tube isprovided on its inner side at a point spaced from its outer end with anoutwardly facing shoulder C which may be slightly tapered as shown inFig. 2, to form a bearing for the packing I and a gland J see Figs. 2and 3, is screwed into the outer end of the tube C and compresses thepack ing I as will be understood from Fig. 2.

On the outer side of the felly F is secured a plate K which extendscircumferentially around the felly and projects at its side edgeslaterally beyond the felly to receive the bolts L which aid in securingthe rim plates H. These rim plates are provided at their outer ends withthe flange H which secure the tire M and lap slightly upon each other attheir inner ends at H as best shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the platesH being also secured at their meeting edges to the rim F by means ofbolts L cooperating with the bolts L as will be understood from Figs. 2and 6 of the drawing.

The rim H is sufiiciently large in a radial direction to permit the tireM to play between the full and dotted line positions ferential flanges Mof the tire and having" 7 at their middle portions on their outer sidesbosses or thickened portions N in which are formed'ihreaded openings Nto receive the outer threaded ends of the spoke rods D as drawing.

will be understood from Figs. 2 and 3 of the rim and the tire and toprevent the entrance .of dust, dirt and the likeat the sides of the tireI provide guards O in the form of aprons to extend between the flanges Hof the rim and the tire and to exclude foreign substances at v thispoint. These guards O are in the form of aprons and may be of canvas,rubber or other suitable material or combinations of material and theguards are secured at their outer edges at O to the L tire M and extendthence within the rim and I are secured at their inner edges at 0 withinthe flanges H ofthe rim. In thus securing the inner edges of the guardaprons,.it is preferred to provide annular grooves H in the inner sidesof the flanges H the apron-like guards O in the said grooves O by meansof spring wire rods P bent into ring form asshown in Fig. 4: and adaptedto springoutwardlyinto the grooves H and to secure the inner edges ofthe guards O in the said grooves as best-shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

This construction efi'ectually revents the entrance of dust, dirt andthe l ke and can be easily applied and removed, when desired. I

In practice, the tire M may be of rubber, leather or other suitablematerial or combinations of materials suitable to produce a flexibletire. The apron may be secured at 1ts outer edge or be integral at suchpoint with the body of the tire.

. Inthe operation of the invention graphite, oil or other lubricatingmaterial may be supplied to the tubes C to secure an easy,

-noiseless operation of the device. Therim being made in sections, onesection may be slid laterally outward in removing and replacing thetire.

I-claim:

This forms a firm connection be and to secure.

1. Theimprovement in spring wheels herein described, comprising a hub, afelly,

tubular spoke sections extending between the hub and folly and rigidlyconnecting the felly, a plate extending around the felly and projectinglaterally beyond the same, rim plates secured to the projecting portionof said plate and having tire securing flanges, a tire, and guard apronsextending between the tire andthe rim flanges, springs securingsaid'guard aprons within the flanges of the rim, abutment plates flangedat their side edges to en age with the tire and having bosses provic edwith threaded openings, piston rods threaded at their outer ends in saidopenings and operating at their inner ends in their respective tubes andsprings in said tubes cooperating with the piston rods, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination of a tire having cireumferential flanges, abutmentplates hav-- ing flanges to clasp the tire flanges and provided on theirup er faces with projecting bosses embedded in the tire and providedwith threaded openings, a rim receiving said tire and abutment plates,and spokes threaded at their outer ends in the threaded o nings of theabutment plates, substantially as set forth.

3. A spring wheel comprising a hub, a felly, tubular spoke sectionsextending between the hub and felly and ri idly connecting the same andhaving stu g boxes within the felly,.a plate extending around the fellyand projecting laterally beyond the same, rim plates secured to theprojecting portions of the'said plate and having tire securing flanges,a tire, abutment plates flanged at their side edges to engage with thetire and having bosses rovided with threaded openings, piston r0 5threaded at their outer ends in said openings and operating at theirinner ends in their respective tubes and springs in said tubes and coderating with the piston rods, substantia ly as set forth.

OZRO H. HINDS. Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, PERRY B. TURPIN.

55 same, and having stuflmg boxes within the

